IRS "Wins" Against Tea Party Groups, UK To Pay People To Lose Lbs, and Rand Paul Convenes 2016 Strategy Squad
Crack open the liberty suds, 'cause it's Friday! Have one on me as you read this Morning Roar, because it's always happy hour somewhere.Tax-Exempt Scandal Fallout: Judge Rules For IRS Over Tea Party Groups Does everyone remember the massive scandal that was uncovered revealing a depth of illegal political bias at the IRS? They discriminated against conservative groups - primarily any group associated with the Tea Party - leading up to the 2012 election by denying them tax exempt status. The Tea Party gr0ups took the matter to the courts, correctly, expecting justice for being wronged by a government agency with a liberal agenda. However, Judge Reggie Walton saw things differently, and provides one of the most ridiculous rulings and rationales that I have ever seen in my 34 years on this earth. From Politco:
"After the plaintiff initiated this case, its application to the IRS for tax-exempt status was approved by the IRS. The allegedly unconstitutional governmental conduct, which delayed the processing of the plaintiff’s tax exempt application and brought about this litigation, is no longer impacting the plaintiff,” Walton said in his decision to throw out True the Vote’s lawsuit against the IRS.
So let me get this straight...because the IRS later approved the tax-exempt status, after the Tea Party Groups brought the matter to court and after the campaigns were over, they now pay no penalty? How does that make sense in any way? If I beat someone up every day for weeks, then stop when they sue me, by this rationale it's no-harm no-foul, since I'm not currently beating them and stopped after the matter was made public. This is insanity. And it gets even better:
The judge, appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, also said the groups couldn’t receive monetary relief from individual IRS officials, such as ex-IRS official Lois Lerner, because of the chilling effect it would have on tax administration.
Heaven forbid we place a "chilling effect" upon the government's tax administration! Clearly that should weigh into a Judge's decision on whether or not a group or groups were wronged. Again - if this was a case in which I had beaten a man, would the "chilling effect" that going to prison for 5 years would have on me permit me to walk free? No, of course not! People everywhere should be enraged by this horrible, nonsensical ruling.Judge Reggie Walton, you're garbage and a black mark on our justice system.UK National Health Service To PAY People to Lose Weight This is a headline straight out of The Onion - the UK's National Health Service is actually going to pay people to lose weight. With taxpayer money. Fat people, getting paid by the government with citizen's money...to go on a diet. I had to type that out again to make sure that even I believed it and I'm the one writing this article. From The Mirror:
Overweight people will receive cash or gift vouchers if they lose weight – as long as they have jobs.Under radical NHS plans to tackle the obesity crisis employers will get funding to offer incentives for staff who slim down.The NHS, which revealed the plan as part of a shake-up of the healthcare system, already pays for seriously obese patients to go to slimming classes. But this would be the first time it gets companies to help tackle obesity.Mr Stevens admitted the NHS would “have to provide” national funding “to get the first employers to do it”.
This is the problem with government getting into healthcare - because so many people in the UK are fat, health costs are rising, which causes the amount the government pays to rise. So, what does it do? It doubles down by offering to pay these overweight people to lose weight, which may help in a tiny way, but is more likely to be a drop in the bucket for overall lowered healthcare costs while putting out far more money than it brings back. And how exactly is this fair to those who are healthy? Tax dollars taken away to pay for those who don't take care of themselves, yet there is no benefit to those who are already healthy. How about a nice tax cut for them? Not bloody likely.NEWS TEAM...ASSEMBLE! Rand Paul Convenes 2016 Presidential Strategy SquadRand Paul's chief strategist Doug Stafford has begun to reach out to the top political minds and powers in Rand Paul's sphere to start the wheels in motion for a 2016 presidential run, according to the National Journal:
Stafford has told invitees to reserve Nov. 12 on their calendar both during the day and into the night. Paul himself is expected to attend some of the meetings."This is the come-to-Jesus before the planned launch," said one Paul insider, who has been invited to the gathering.The meeting of the Kentucky Republican's kitchen Cabinet has been kept under wraps, with most of the invitees not even told who else will be there. Stafford has yet to circulate a formal agenda, though few on "Team Rand," as Stafford sometimes calls the group, need to be told the talks will focus on a presidential run."As I understand it, this meeting is to both literally and symbolically change focus after the November election," said another invitee, "and begin to take deliberate action toward a potential 2016 run."
The writing has been on the wall for some time now - and if Rand is in the running, 2016's race should be one that's not going to be short on fireworks. We recently debated whether or not Rand would get our vote (and the ups and downs of his being President) in our last recent "Libertarians in Living Rooms Drinking Liquor" podcast.Read The Morning Roar every weekday Monday-Friday!The Lions of Liberty are on Twitter, Facebook & Google+Receive access to ALL of our EXCLUSIVE bonus audio content – including “Conspiracy Corner”, “Degenerate Gamblers” and the “League of Liberty Podcast” by joining the Lions of Liberty Pride and supporting us on Patreon!
